Roe Vs Wade Summary

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Case Brief

I. Case Name: Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973). This case dealt with the issues of allowing or restricting abortions.
II. Summary of Facts: Jane Roe, a Texas resident, wanted to terminate her pregnancy. However, Article 1196 of the Texas Penal Code restricted the use of abortions to circumstances when “procured or attempted by medical advice for the purposes of saving the life of the mother.” She claimed the statute unconstitutionally restricted her right to an abortion, Roe sued Henry Wade, a Texas official, in court.
III. Issue Presented: The issue was is a women’s right to have a abortion protected under constitutional rights?
IV. Court’s Holding: The Court issued the decision on January 22, 1973, in favor of Roe, with a majority vote of 7-to-2. Justices Stewart, Burger, and Douglas filed concurring opinions, and When Justice White wrote a dissenting opinion, Justice Rehnquist joined him and agreed. Douglas’s, White’s, and Burger’s opinions were issued along with the Court's opinion in Doe v. Bolton (announced on the same day as Roe v. Wade). The Court ended up deeming abortion a fundamental right under the United States Constitution, therefore subjecting all laws attempting to restrict it to the standard of strict scrutiny.
V.
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Court’s Reasoning: There were three main reasons criminal abortion laws were enacted. The first was to discourage illicit sexual conduct. The second was to protect pregnant woman against hazardous abortion procedures. Lastly, the third reason was to preserve the state’s interest in protecting the sanctity of